OPD shuts down as JPMC doctors protest against murder of colleague

KARACHI: The doctors of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Wednesday completely boycotted the outpatient department (OPD) of hospital against brutal murder of senior JPMC MLO Dr Manzoor Memon.Dr Manzoor Memon and his driver Ashiq Ali were gunned down in Delhi Colony area on Tuesday by the unidentified armed men. All the OPD services, emergency laboratory, X-ray Department and Medico-legal Section of JPMC remained closed due to doctors’ protest. A large number of patients who reached the hospital from different areas of Karachi as well as other parts of the province suffered a lot as a number of medical services were not offered at the hospital due the boycott. The doctors staged protest demonstration outside the Najmaudin Auditorium of JPMC. They demanded steps for protection healthcare practitioners. The medical professionals expressed grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and said killing of a senior doctor is highly condemnable act.However, emergency services remained functional at the JPMC while emergency operation theatres also remained active.The protesters warned if the murderers of Dr Manzoor were not arrested soon then they will increase the circle of their protest. PMA deplores doctor’s murder: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Centre and Karachi on Wednesday strongly condemned the brutal murder of Dr Manzoor Memon of Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Karachi in target killing incident. A high level emergent meeting was held at PMA House Karachi which was presided over by president-elect PMA Centre Dr Aziz Ahmed Lehri. The meeting was attended by Dr S Tipu Sultan, Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad, Dr M Idrees Edhi, Dr Qazi M Wasiq, Dr Aziz Khan Tank, Dr Naseer Ahmed Baloch, Dr Ghafoor Shoro, Dr Ahmed Bhimani, Dr Sirajudaulla, Dr Shaukat Malik, Dr Khalil Mukkadam and others.This meeting strongly condemned the brutal murder of MLO JPMC Dr Manzoor Memon that took place the other day. It also condemned the recent killings of Dr Farooq Rajpar in Nawabshah and Dr Faisal Manzoor in Hassanabdal.PMA said killing of three doctors in last few days had shocked the medical fraternity of the country who was already having feelings of insecurity. The doctors are being killed, kidnapped and harassed by extortionists, especially in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. They are also being killed on sectarian basis in the country. This situation is persisting since a long time that has created a sense of fear and unrest among the doctors fraternity.It seemed that the government is not interested to provide security to the doctors. PMA feared a mass migration of medical professionals for the safety of their life.PMA demanded of the government to provide security to all doctors, otherwise a country-wide protest may be initiated which would result in increasing the sufferings of poor patients. PMA urged the authorities concerned to provide fair compensation to the families of the victims.PMA further demanded of Interior Minister, Chief Minister of the Provinces, Chief Secretaries, Police high-ups and all other state institutions concerned to maintain the law and order and take an urgent notice.PMA requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu action in this regard.